newmoon

To throw another wrench into the works, for my CVT I have noticed that clutch engagement, ratio changes and gas pedal sensitivity are even smoother when Audi Drive Select is in Comfort compared to Auto for Engine/Transmission. This is with the gear selector in D, not S of course.

snagitseven

I would add that selecting S or D with the shifter also changes rhe engine throttle maps as well as the gearing maps.

radarguy

Versions of the ZF 8-speed in other cars will not shift into the 8th speed (over drive) when in the sport mode. I believe this is also true in the A6 when the transmission lever is in S. What happens if the transmission is in D and the ADS is in Dynamic? Will the transmission shift into the 8th gear?

snagitseven

No. As previously stated, the shifter in D overrides the MMI Individual S/Dynamic modes for throttle and gear mapping.

superswiss

Yes, if the transmission is in D it will shift into 8th gear, regardless of your ADS mode. Same with the S-tronic, it will not shift into 7th gear in S, but it will in D. If you have cruise control engaged, then both the ZF and the S-tronic will shift into the highest gear even in S.

superswiss

I've never driven a CVT, but this is generally not the case. There's actually no difference between comfort and auto as far as the transmission/engine is concerned. The following is the ADS characteristics table from the A6/S6 owner's manual, where you can see that the characteristics for the transmission/engine is the same in comfort and auto. There are really only two modes for the transmission. D = Balanced and S = Sporty, so if the transmission is in D, it will operate in the balanced mode, regardless of your current overall ADS mode and if it's in S it will operate in sporty mode.

newmoon

Yes, I know the manual says Comfort and Auto are both balanced, so that's why I mentioned this oddity that they seem to drive slightly differently. I guess other people can just try it and see if they notice any difference too.

Also, even if you leave the gear selector in Drive, the transmission still has dozens of shift programs to choose from based on speed, load, hills, driving style, etc. This is what Audi/VW calls "Dynamic Shift Program". So it's not as simple as saying there are only two modes: D/Balanced and S/Dynamic.

superswiss

Probably just a placebo effect. I've driven dozens of different Audis over the last three years with ADS and there's no difference.

Yes, mode is probably the wrong word. I alluded to that in an earlier post. Balanced and Sporty are basically programs or strategies if you want and within them each one dynamically adjusts to the current driving situation and your driving style. Balanced prioritizes comfort and fuel economy, whereas Sporty prioritizes performance and agility.

davidglt66

The one thing that does change is the steering feel, dynamic is heavier all the time, comfort is light all the time, and Auto is light at low speeds and heavier at faster speeds, I leave it in Auto and for the transmission just flick the shift selector for D or S

Glisse

This is platform dependant.

My C7 A7 S tronic will shift to 7th gear in S mode. I need to be doing around 120kph/75mph and be on a constant throttle before it will shift up. I never use cruise control.